The Big Gigs for week of 9/16

POP/ROCK

Having already planted the seeds for a Fleetwood Mac tour next year, Lindsey Buckingham is going his own way first. This month, he hit the road to promote "Seeds We Sow," his third solo studio effort in the past five years. While he's a fussy perfectionist and frustrated compromiser with the Big Mac, he treats this CD almost as if it's a glorified demo. OK, it's a one-man band, with lots of layers and guitar workouts as Buckingham waxes about love, loss and growing older. Still, it feels less complicated than a Fleetwood Mac album or any previous Buckingham solo CDs -- but not as satisfying as Stevie Nicks' new "In Your Dreams." In concert, Buckingham has always been deeply rewarding when playing under his own name. (8 p.m. Fri. Pantages, $43.50 & $53.50) Jon Bream

Thoroughly reliable Alligator Records bar warriors Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King arrive from Texas to play songs off their dozen-plus CDs, the latest of which is the impressive "Have Blues Will Travel." Opening is Rochester's blues-rock belter Sena Ehrhardt, who just released "Leave the Light On." (7:30 p.m. Fri. Wilebski's Blues Saloon, $10.) Tom Surowicz

One rocker who knows how to put an orchestra to good use, piano-pop master Ben Folds has performed with the likes of the Boston Pops and Western Australia Symphony for several years now, the latter of which is featured in his 2005 DVD, "Live in Perth." The "Brick" and "Rockin' the Suburbs" hitmaker first teamed up with the Minnesota Orchestra in 2009, and it was a smash success. (8 p.m. Sat., Orchestra Hall. $25-$60.) Chris Riemenschneider

Tim O'Brien plays just about anything with strings, and he's done so for several decades. A swell bluegrass, folk and country singer/songwriter and the frontman for 30 years of the very cool Hot Rize, O'Brien has released about 20 solo CDs. More recently, he's toured the world with Mark Knopfler. Opening act Mary Flower is an acoustic blues fingerstyle guitar wizard. (7:30 p.m. Sun. Cedar, $20-$22.) Surowicz

Last month, prolific musicmaker and Twin Cities regular John Hiatt released his seventh studio album since 2000 and 20th overall. "Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns" teems with sharp observations, hard-luck truths and predictable cleverness. The crafty singer/songwriter loves his car ("Detroit Made") and train rides ("Train to Birmingham") and hates his hometown ("Damn This Town") and the Golden State ("Adios to California"). And, 10 years after, he looks back at 9/11 with "When New York Had Her Heart Broke." All the music is given a little more polish than usual by producer Kevin Shirley, known for his work with Black Crowes and Aerosmith. Hiatt's daughter, Lilly Hiatt, opens. Always recommended. (7:30 p.m. Mon. Guthrie, $40 & $42.) Bream

Part of New York's early '80s post-punk scene alongside Sonic Youth, Swans had an abrasive, ear-smashing, hair-raising sound that came off like a car-wreck pileup of industrial noise-rock. Founder Michael Gera has uncharacteristically put the old band back together with many of his heyday players. True to character, though, the first Swans tour in 14 years has mostly featured songs off last year's album, "My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky." Sun City Girls ethno-improv experimenter Sir Richard Bishop opens. (8:30 p.m. Tue., First Avenue. $20.) Riemenschneider

Like George Strait, Alan Jackson has been a remarkably consistent radio hitmaker while demonstrating all the presence of a smiling statue in concert. Still, Jackson packs the places he plays. He opened Mystic Lake Casino's new 2,100-seat showroom four years ago this month. Now, he'll close the inaugural season at Mystic's new 8,300-seat amphitheater, which is as impressive as the showroom. His hits from "Don't Rock the Jukebox" to "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" will warm your heart, but bring warm clothes because this one is outdoors and they don't sell booze. Craig Campbell opens. (8 p.m. Sat. Mystic Lake amphitheater, $32.50-$52.50.) Bream

At least one Viking, Jared Allen, is living up to his billing and paycheck this season. And he's standing up for his country with his second annual benefit for Homes 4 Wounded Warriors. Remember last year, Jamey Johnson was the headliner but his bus broke down and he postponed. Don't worry about party-sparkin' James Otto, who brings a soulfulness to country and happens to buddies with Allen and other Vikings. Otto grew up a Vikes fan in rural Finley, N.D. (8 p.m. Sun. Toby Keith's, $30 and $40 for VIP meet-and-greet.) Bream

Casey James, the guitar-playing, country-singin,' blues and rock-lovin' finalist from "American Idol" 2010, has been on tour with Sugarland He's working on his debut for Sony Nashville, due next year. He'll offer his new single, "Let's Don't Call It a Night," and a preview of his album. (9:30 p.m. Thu. Toby Keith's, $5.) Bream

HIP-HOP

Even though they're a decade apart in age and from different corners of the metro (Brooklyn Park for him, St. Paul's west side for her), Muja Messiah and Maria Isa already proved they make for good bedfellows via memorable stints on each other's recordings. The Twin Cities hip-hop stars made a whole album together under the moniker Villa Rosa. Titled "Blue Diamond Island," the 14-track collection has some of the flirty sexual chemistry inherent in most boy/girl hip-hop collaborations, which is a little sexier than usual here thanks to Isa's smooth Puerto Rican/reggae influence. As would be expected of these mouthy rhyme slayers, though, things turn from hot to hot-heated in the slow-grooving war-torn jam "Blindfolded" and the heart-tugging fallen-soldiers ballad "So Far Away." Their live band for the release party will feature Latin group Malamanya and performances by Carnage, Mayda, MaLLy and DJs Mike the Martyr, Dan Speak and Simon Birch. (7 p.m. Sat., First Avenue. 18 & older. $8-$10.) Riemenschneider

Compelling pianist/composer Bryan Nichols has assembled a new all-star trio without importing anybody, as he taps bass great Anthony Cox and drum dynamo Dave King. Cox's credits include work with John Scofield, Dewey Redman and Joe Lovano, while King's in a few familiar combos (the Bad Plus, Happy Apple, Halloween Alaska, et al.). (9 p.m. Fri.-Sat Artists' Quarter, $12.) Surowicz

Take three members of the SF Jazz Collective -- sax star Joshua Redman, bassist Matt Penman and all-pro drummer Eric Harland. Add keyboardist Aaron Parks, and what do you get? A smokin' modern post-bop combo, playing their versions of Miles, Monk and Trane classics? Hardly. The co-op band dubbed James Farm is plenty modern. The quartet's self-titled Nonesuch debut features original compositions. While it's largely acoustic and often contemplative, you'll hear many subtle (and a few overt) flourishes of rock, electronica and hip-hop. (7 & 9 p.m. Tue. Dakota, $40 & $30.) Surowicz

WORLD

Kudos to the Cedar Cultural Center for kicking off this year's Global Roots Festival with what should certainly be a gentle, sublime gig at a beat-the-recession price -- it's free. Making their Twin Cities debut is the somewhat unlikely world-acclaimed chamber duo of Malian kora player Ballaké Sissoko and maverick French cellist, Vincent Segal. Segal has become something of a Parisian star -- he's also worked with Elvis Costello, Sting, even the P-Funk All-Stars. Sharing the bill is Malian bluesman Sidi Touré and his trio. (7:30 p.m. Tue., Cedar, free.) Surowicz
CLASSICAL

We tend to overlook the musical jewels in our midst, especially when they've been around a while. Which is all the more reason to rediscover St. Paul's acclaimed Artaria String Quartet as it launches its 25th season with a program of Haydn (Op. 76, No. 4) and Brahms (the gloriously autumnal Clarinet Quintet, with clarinetist Jun Qian) -- the first of four concerts in Hamline University's superlative Sundin Hall. (3 p.m. Sun. 1531 Hewitt Av., St. Paul. $45 for the four-concert series; $17 single admission; students/youth free. 651-523-2459.) Larry Fuchsberg